Pretty Birdie
by The Werewolf Mage
Summary: Short little oneshot. Baby Ciaran wants to play with his mother's owl. But Frank just doesn't want to cooperate.


Title: Pretty Birdie

Summary: Short little oneshot. Baby Ciaran wants to play with his mother's owl. But Frank just doesn't want to cooperate.

Notes: I wanted to do a Baby Harry fic, but I couldn't think of one. But I like the idea of Baby Ciaran and Frank the owl. I'm open to Baby Harry ideas, though.

Ciaran Lupin was sitting on the floor of the small house he shared with his parents. He was at the age of wanting to crawl and explore. And nothing fascinated him more than his mother's owl, Frank, who was usually locked away in his cage, unless it was nighttime, or his parents had a letter to deliver.

But that afternoon, Frank was allowed to fly around the living room. It had been raining all week and he had not been allowed outside, so his mother let him fly around the house for a bit.

Frank was paying him no mind, having lighted on the coffee table to preen his feathers.

Which gave Ciaran the chance to crawl over to the table, pull himself up, and reach for the owl.

Frank hooted loudly and ruffled himself up before flying on top of the bookcase.

Ciaran crawled across the room and sat down in front of the bookcase, watching Frank, who had turned his back on him.

Inside the kitchen, his parents could get a glance at him looking up at the bookcase and the bird.

"What is he thinking?" Gwendolyn Lupin asked, shaking her head as she rinsed the dinner plates and put them away.

"I think he wants your bird, Gwendolyn." Remus said, glancing at Ciaran from over his copy of _The Evening Prophet. _"And I think," he added, "that you need to put Frank back in his cage. If he bites my son -- "

"You'll turn him into a feather duster." Gen finished with a sigh. She wiped her hands on her robes and headed into the living room.

"Come on, you." she giggled. "Daddy doesn't want you messing with Frank, so stay in the kitchen with us."

His mother sat him on the floor of the kitchen by his father. Ciaran was not happy with that. He wanted Frank.

Who took the chance to fly into the kitchen and land on his mother's shoulder.

"I'll put you back in your cage in a minute, Frank." Gen murmured. She took him off her shoulder and put him on the counter, where he began to peck at a loaf of bread.

He knocked a bit off the counter and fluttered to the floor, where he resumed eating it. And where Ciaran found his chance to grab him.

He crawled over to the owl and reached for him. His tiny fingers brushed against the owl's tail feathers. To which he gave a hearty tug.

Frank hooted in anger, but did not peck at Ciaran. He flew to the top of the cabinets and stayed there, shooting feathery death glares in the toddler's direction.

He watched as Remus picked up Ciaran and carried him over to his mother. She sighed and said, "You need to stop trying to get into everything! He could have bit you!"

"That's why you need to keep him locked up, Mummy." Remus said softly. "He's a baby, and he's started crawling. He's going to be getting into everything. And, for some reason, your owl is rather interesting."

"He's just a bird." Gen scoffed, rinsing and drying the last plate, then taking her son from Remus. She smiled softly and brushed her cheek against her son's sandy hair. "Nothing that interesting about him." she murmured.

She then handed him back to Remus. "Want to give the little guy a bath? He does tend to make a mess when trying to get your lunch. I'll get Frank back in his cage."

She waited until Remus and Ciaran left the room to turn to Frank. She offered her hand to him; he immediately fluttered down onto her arm and hooted softly.

"It was rather nice of you, Frank, to not bite Ciaran. Are you starting to like the male gender? Or do you somehow understand he's just a baby?"

Frank hooted again and reluctantly hopped into his cage. Gen gave him a pat or two, then locked the door.

And planned on keeping it locked. No matter how interested Ciaran was in the owl. There was always the chance he could bite him. And she felt they could not risk that chance.


End file.
